How to compare take-home pay by state
- Enter your pay. Type your salary per year or per paycheck and pick how often you are paid.
- Choose your filing status. Use the filing status on your Form W-4. Add a 401(k) contribution or health premium per paycheck if you have one.
- Read the table. Each state shows its state taxes for the year and your take-home pay per paycheck and per year, most first. Open a state for its own calculator.
How income tax differs by state
Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare are the same in every state. State income tax is not: some states take nothing from wages, some take one flat rate, and some use graduated rates like the federal tax. A few add city or county taxes and payroll deductions for disability or paid leave.
The calculator above takes one salary and shows the take-home pay it leaves in each state. For a single state with every line of Form W-4 and the state's own withholding form, use the paycheck calculator by state.
Below, the table lists all 50 states and the District of Columbia with the way each one taxes wages in 2026: no tax, a flat rate or graduated rates, local income taxes, and other deductions a state takes from employee pay.
Features
- Take-home pay for one salary in every verified state, most first
- State taxes per year and take-home pay per paycheck and per year
- Weekly, biweekly, twice-a-month and monthly pay periods
- Federal income tax from the 2026 IRS percentage method tables
- 401(k) and pre-tax health premium deductions
- A table of all 50 states and DC: tax type, rates, local taxes and other deductions
- A PDF report of the comparison, to save or share on WhatsApp
States with no income tax in 2026
9 states do not tax wages in 2026: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. A paycheck in these states has federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, and no state income tax line.
Alaska: No individual income tax. Alaska is one of the few states where employees pay unemployment insurance.
Florida: No personal income tax of any kind.
Nevada: The state constitution bars an income tax on wages.
New Hampshire: New Hampshire never taxed wages; its tax on interest and dividends was repealed from 1 January 2025.
Tennessee: The Hall tax on interest and dividends ended in 2021.
Texas: The state constitution bars a tax on individual net income.
Washington: Washington taxes long-term capital gains, not wages.
No income tax does not always mean no state deduction. Alaska takes Unemployment insurance (up to $54,200) at 0.5% from employee pay. Washington takes WA Paid Family and Medical Leave at 0.8071% and WA Cares Fund (long-term care) at 0.58% from employee pay.
State income tax on wages: all 50 states and DC (2026)
| State | Tax on wages | Rate | Local income tax | Other paycheck deductions | Withholding form | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Graduated | 2% to 5% | Yes: city occupational taxes | None | A-4 | — |
| Alaska | None | 0% | No | Unemployment insurance (up to $54,200) 0.5% | None | — |
| Arizona | Flat | 2.5% | No | None | A-4 | Arizona paycheck calculator |
| Arkansas | Graduated | 0% to 3.7% | No | None | AR4EC | — |
| California | Graduated | 1% to 12.3% | No | California SDI (disability and paid family leave) 1.3% | DE 4 | California paycheck calculator |
| Colorado | Flat | 4.4% | Yes: occupational privilege tax in Denver and a few other cities | Colorado FAMLI (paid leave) 0.44% | DR 0004 | Colorado paycheck calculator |
| Connecticut | Graduated | 2% to 6.99% | No | CT Paid Leave 0.5% | CT-W4 | — |
| Delaware | Graduated | 2.2% to 6.6% | Yes: Wilmington earned income tax | Delaware Paid Leave (up to) 0.4% | Federal W-4 | — |
| District of Columbia | Graduated | 4% to 10.75% | No | None | D-4 | — |
| Florida | None | 0% | No | None | None | — |
| Georgia | Flat | 4.99% | No | None | G-4 | — |
| Hawaii | Graduated | 1.4% to 11% | No | Temporary Disability Insurance (up to $7.50 a week) 0.5% | HW-4 | — |
| Idaho | Flat | 5.3% | No | None | ID W-4 | — |
| Illinois | Flat | 4.95% | No | None | IL-W-4 | Illinois paycheck calculator |
| Indiana | Flat | 2.95% | Yes: county income tax in all 92 counties | None | WH-4 | — |
| Iowa | Flat | 3.8% | Yes: school district surtax, paid with the return | None | IA W-4 | — |
| Kansas | Graduated | 5.2% to 5.58% | No | None | K-4 | — |
| Kentucky | Flat | 3.5% | Yes: city and county occupational license taxes | None | K-4 | — |
| Louisiana | Flat | 3% | No | None | L-4 | — |
| Maine | Graduated | 5.8% to 7.15% | No | Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave 0.5% | W-4ME | — |
| Maryland | Graduated | 2% to 6.5% | Yes: county income tax, 2.25% to 3.30% | None | MW507 | — |
| Massachusetts | Flat | 5% | No | Massachusetts PFML (paid leave) 0.46% | M-4 | Massachusetts paycheck calculator |
| Michigan | Flat | 4.25% | Yes: city income taxes, including Detroit | None | MI-W4 | — |
| Minnesota | Graduated | 5.35% to 9.85% | No | Minnesota Paid Leave (up to) 0.44% | W-4MN | — |
| Mississippi | Flat | 4% | No | None | 89-350 | — |
| Missouri | Graduated | 0% to 4.7% | Yes: Kansas City and St. Louis earnings taxes | None | MO W-4 | — |
| Montana | Graduated | 4.7% to 5.65% | No | None | MW-4 | — |
| Nebraska | Graduated | 2.46% to 4.55% | No | None | W-4N | — |
| Nevada | None | 0% | No | None | None | Nevada paycheck calculator |
| New Hampshire | None | 0% | No | None | None | — |
| New Jersey | Graduated | 1.4% to 10.75% | No | NJ unemployment and workforce (UI/WF) 0.425%; NJ disability insurance (TDI) 0.19%; NJ family leave insurance (FLI) 0.23% | NJ-W4 | New Jersey paycheck calculator |
| New Mexico | Graduated | 1.5% to 5.9% | No | None | Federal W-4 | — |
| New York | Graduated | 3.9% to 10.9% | Yes: New York City and Yonkers | NY disability benefits (DBL) 0.5%; NY Paid Family Leave 0.432% | IT-2104 | New York paycheck calculator |
| North Carolina | Flat | 3.99% | No | None | NC-4 | — |
| North Dakota | Graduated | 0% to 2.5% | No | None | Federal W-4 | — |
| Ohio | Graduated | 0% to 2.75% | Yes: city and school district income taxes | None | IT 4 | Ohio paycheck calculator |
| Oklahoma | Graduated | 0% to 4.5% | No | None | OK-W-4 | — |
| Oregon | Graduated | 4.75% to 9.9% | Yes: Portland area (Metro and Multnomah County) on higher incomes | Paid Leave Oregon 0.6%; Statewide transit tax 0.1% | OR-W-4 | — |
| Pennsylvania | Flat | 3.07% | Yes: local earned income tax and local services tax | PA unemployment compensation (employee) 0.07% | No state form | Pennsylvania paycheck calculator |
| Rhode Island | Graduated | 3.75% to 5.99% | No | Temporary Disability and Caregiver Insurance 1.1% | RI W-4 | — |
| South Carolina | Graduated | 1.99% to 5.21% | No | None | SC W-4 | — |
| South Dakota | None | 0% | No | None | None | — |
| Tennessee | None | 0% | No | None | None | Tennessee paycheck calculator |
| Texas | None | 0% | No | None | None | Texas paycheck calculator |
| Utah | Flat | 4.45% | No | None | Federal W-4 | — |
| Vermont | Graduated | 3.35% to 8.75% | No | None | W-4VT | — |
| Virginia | Graduated | 2% to 5.75% | No | None | VA-4 | Virginia paycheck calculator |
| Washington | None | 0% | No | WA Paid Family and Medical Leave 0.8071%; WA Cares Fund (long-term care) 0.58% | None | Washington paycheck calculator |
| West Virginia | Graduated | 2.11% to 4.58% | No | None | WV/IT-104 | — |
| Wisconsin | Graduated | 3.5% to 7.65% | No | None | WT-4 | — |
| Wyoming | None | 0% | No | None | None | — |
Rates are for wages in the tax year shown. Graduated rates are the lowest and the top rate for a single filer. Each row comes from that state's department of revenue; the sources are named on this page and on the methodology page.
Flat tax and graduated tax states
Flat tax (15): one rate on all taxable wages. Arizona (2.5%), Colorado (4.4%), Georgia (4.99%), Idaho (5.3%), Illinois (4.95%), Indiana (2.95%), Iowa (3.8%), Kentucky (3.5%), Louisiana (3%), Massachusetts (5%), Michigan (4.25%), Mississippi (4%), North Carolina (3.99%), Pennsylvania (3.07%) and Utah (4.45%).
Graduated tax (27): higher rates on higher slices of income, like the federal tax. Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The highest top rate is California's 12.3%, on taxable income above $768,213 for a single filer.
How a state takes tax from your paycheck
Each state with an income tax has its own withholding formula. The employer turns your pay into a yearly amount, subtracts the state's standard deduction and the allowances on your state withholding form, applies the state rate or brackets, and divides by the number of paychecks.
Most states have their own withholding form. A few use the federal Form W-4. If you never filled in a state form, your employer follows the state's rule for a missing form; each state page gives that rule.
Some states take more than income tax. Disability insurance, paid family and medical leave and long-term care programs are deducted from employee pay in 15 states in the table. Cities, counties or school districts add a local income tax in 13.
Pre-tax deductions do not work the same way everywhere. Most states let a traditional 401(k) contribution lower state taxable wages, but not all of them; each state page says which deductions count.
Which state taxes you: where you live or where you work?
Wages are usually taxed by the state where the work is done. If you live in a different state that also has an income tax, your home state normally gives a credit for the tax paid to the work state, so the same wages are not taxed twice.
Some neighbouring states have reciprocity agreements: you file a form with your employer and only your home state withholds. Remote workers are taxed by the state they work from, with a few exceptions set by individual states.
Why take-home pay changes from state to state
On $65,000 a year, single, paid every two weeks, take-home pay is $54,408 a year in Florida, Nevada, Tennessee and Texas and $50,958 in Massachusetts: a difference of $3,449 a year from state taxes alone.
Federal taxes on that salary are the same in every state: Social Security at 6.2%, Medicare at 1.45% and federal income tax from IRS Publication 15-T.
What the calculator includes
- Pay: a salary per year or per paycheck; weekly, biweekly, twice-a-month or monthly.
- Federal: income tax with the standard Form W-4 for the filing status chosen, Social Security and Medicare.
- State: each state's income tax with no allowances on the state form, and the state's other employee deductions.
- Not included: local income taxes, credits for tax paid to another state, and Form W-4 Steps 2 to 4. Use the state's own calculator page for those details.
Is it private?
Yes. The calculation runs in your browser. Your pay and your result are not sent to a server and are not saved.
Tips for an accurate estimate
- Compare the same salary and filing status in every state, then open the state you are moving to for its own calculator with every Form W-4 step.
- Look at the per-year column when you compare a job offer. A small difference per paycheck adds up over 26 or 52 paychecks.
- Check the local income tax column before you choose a city. A city or county tax is not in the comparison and comes on top of the state tax.
- If you live in one state and work in another, use the state where you work for withholding and check whether your home state has a reciprocity agreement.
- A state with no income tax can still take a deduction from pay. Read the other deductions column for the state you pick.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
- Which states have no income tax in 2026?
- Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. These 9 states do not tax wages.
- How many states have a flat income tax?
- 15 tax wages at one flat rate in 2026 and 27 use graduated rates, counting the District of Columbia with the states. The table on this page lists each one.
- Which state has the highest income tax rate?
- California, with a top rate of 12.3% in 2026 on taxable income above $768,213 for a single filer. Plus 1% Behavioral Health Services Tax on taxable income over $1 million.
- Do I pay state tax where I live or where I work?
- Usually where you work. If your home state also taxes the same wages, it normally gives a credit for the tax paid to the work state. States with reciprocity agreements let you pay only your home state.
- Does no state income tax mean nothing else comes out of my paycheck?
- Not always. Alaska has no income tax but takes Unemployment insurance (up to $54,200) from employee pay. Washington has no income tax but takes WA Paid Family and Medical Leave and WA Cares Fund (long-term care) from employee pay. Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare come out in every state.
- Is the take-home pay here exact?
- It is an estimate with the same Form W-4 in every state and no state form allowances. Your employer's payroll system, your own forms and any local tax set the exact amount.
Sources
Every rate, bracket and limit this calculator uses comes from the official sources below. The method is shown on this page, so any result can be checked by hand.
- State departments of revenue and taxation (50 states and the District of Columbia), 2026 withholding guides, rate schedules and withholding certificates. The tax type, rates, local taxes, withholding forms and payroll deductions in the table of all states.
- City of Portland Revenue Division, Personal tax: Metro Supportive Housing Services and Multnomah County Preschool for All. The local income taxes in the Portland, Oregon area.
- Internal Revenue Service, Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods. Worksheet 1A and the 2026 Percentage Method Tables for Automated Payroll Systems: every bracket, rate and the $12,900 and $8,600 amounts on line 1g.
- Internal Revenue Service, Topic no. 751, Social Security and Medicare withholding rates. Social Security 6.2%, Medicare 1.45%, and Additional Medicare Tax of 0.9% on wages above $200,000 in a calendar year.
- Social Security Administration, Contribution and Benefit Base. The 2026 Social Security wage base of $184,500.